An estimated 1,400 people working for Pittsburgh area construction firms and their suppliers will lose their jobs because a Pennsylvania Senate-passed transportation funding measure failed in the state house, according to an analysis released today by AGC of America.  Those job losses would be three times higher than the number of construction jobs added in the area during the past year and threaten to reverse recent industry job gains, association officials cautioned.

The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in response to the administration’s decisions to finalize two new employment rules despite federal data indicating no need for the new measures:  “The administration’s decision to finalize two new oppressive employment regulations for federal contractors forces us to object to measures whose goals we support and objectives our members already meet.  That is because these rules will force federal contractors to spend an estimated $6 billion a year to produce reams of new paperwork proving they are doing what the federal government already knows they are doing.

Construction employment gains spread to more metropolitan areas between July 2012 and July 2013 than in previous months but full recovery remained elusive as only a few areas have exceeded pre-recession employment records, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by AGC of America. Association officials said that despite the gains, construction employment remains below peak levels in most metro areas.

A nationwide group of Building Information Modeling users, known as the BIMForum, released the first-of-its kind standard establishing definitions for how complete Building Information Models (BIMs) need to be for different stages of the design and construction process. The new standard, known as the Level of Development Specifications (LOD), was developed under an agreement with the American Institute of Architects. The standard allows everyone involved with construction projects to clearly articulate how detailed model elements for the different building systems are or need to be throughout the design and construction process.

Construction employment continued its spotty improvement in July, as more states posted year-over-year gains but most states posted decreases compared with June, according to an analysis by AGC of America of Labor Department data. Association officials said the steady improvement in employment in many states was welcome news, but cautioned that the industry's recovery was still fragile.

The Obama administration should reconsider its proposal to impose oppressive new regulations governing the employment of veterans and people with disabilities on federal contractors, officials with AGC of America argued today during a meeting with the administration. Association officials said federal employment and compliance enforcement data indicate there is no justification for the costly new rules.

The unemployment rate for construction workers fell to the lowest July level in five years last month, even though employment has stagnated in the past four months, according to an analysis of new government data by AGC of America. Association officials urged Washington leaders to act on stalled infrastructure funding measures to help jump start construction hiring.

Total construction spending cooled in June as residential building hit the pause button, while private nonresidential and public construction also declined, according to an analysis of new Census Bureau data by AGC of America. Association officials urged lawmakers in Washington to make infrastructure investment a top federal priority for the fiscal year beginning in October.

Construction employment increased in 191 out of 339 metropolitan areas between June 2012 and June 2013, declined in 97 and was flat in 51, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by AGC.  

Over the past several months, we have received a number of reports, most of which were anecdotal, about sporadic shortages of skilled construction workers in certain parts of the country. At the same time, overall construction employment, while rising steadily, remains well below peak employment levels. As a result, we are having a hard time gauging the extent of worker shortages and if and where those shortages may be impacting construction projects.